10 Simple Steps to Eating Healthy on Busy Days
We all know we should eat healthy, and lots of us regularly commit to doing so. But, somehow it seems that so often our busy lives get in the way. But really, that’s just an excuse. With a little forethought, planning, and resolve, eating healthy on busy days isn’t difficult.
These 10 steps are a great start to finally making positive lifestyle changes for better health and higher energy levels. No matter how hectic your daily schedule may be.
Tips for Healthy Eating when You’re Busy
- Buy or make a calendar with big blocks to write in your daily menus. Use the weekend to plan out your meals and make a shopping list. Depending on your schedule, prepare some meals on the weekend for the upcoming week or start preparing the next day’s food at night. Download my free FitEnergy Foodmap at JasonMD.com for healthy food items and meal ideas.
- Eat salads for lunch. They’re nutritious, easy to prepare at home, and have so many variations you don’t ever have to get bored. You can throw them together quickly, make them in bulk, or prepare them ahead individually. If you’re pressed for time, stores like Whole Foods have salad bars with ingredients all prepped, so you can just throw your creation together on the go.
- Take water with you everywhere. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated, healthy, and energized. Make it convenient by always having a bottle on hand.
- Carry around fresh unsalted almonds or other nuts of your choice. They’re a highly nutritious, satisfying snack that offers a sustained boost of energy. Moreover, they don’t have to be refrigerated or specially packaged to stay fresh.
- Always have fresh fruit on hand at home. It’s another great source of a wide variety of essential nutrients, and it delivers a quick shot of energy. Start your day with a serving of whole fruit or freshly squeezed fruit juice, and take some with you when you head out for your day.
- When eating out, plan ahead. Know where you’re going and check out the menu to find relatively healthy options. You’re more likely to stick to healthy choices when they’re planned out. Then, at the restaurant, don’t even look at the menu and get tempted by unhealthy options.
- Read over these healthy grocery shopping tips. It’s so much easier to eat healthy all the time if you have plenty of healthy food around and little or no junk food!
- Eat regularly. I advocate six meals per day, including three core meals and three healthy snacks between meals. This staves off hunger and loss of focus, and keeps you going with a steady supply of energy.
- Shop at stores with lots of organic food. We eat what our food eats. If it grows up in good soil, untouched by artificial fertilizers and pesticides, we avoid these potentially harmful chemicals too.
- Include your family in shopping and meal planning. Educate each other on nutrition and energizing foods. Whenever people have a role in the process, it creates a sense of ownership and accountability. And it’s just more fun and fulfilling to do it as a family.
